Apparatus for cleaning coal, &amp;c.



H. R. CONKLlN.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COAL, 6w. APPLICATION FILED DEC.27, 1'911.

Patented J an. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. R. CONKLIN.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COAL, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.21. Ian.

1 ,290, 5 1 5 Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- UNITED STATES PA ENT. ;orrica ARRY n. conxun, or 501mm,- MISSOURI.

APPARATUS roa otmnnve COAL, 8w.

Speeification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 9 1919, l

- Application filed December 27, 1917. Serial No. 209,101.

' which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates tothe cleaning of dirty coal, by separating the coal from slate,

bone, or other impurities or admixtures heavier than coal, which are usually presen in coal as mined.

Heretofore it has been customary to form aseparating solution having a gravity greater than coal, and to separate the coal by floating it off from such a solution. Such solutions are expensive, and are only used mercial scale.

It has also been proposed to use a mixture of clay and water, or loam and water, or marl and water, maintained agitated by an upwardly directed current of such mixture, to prevent the mixture from settling, and to maintain such an energetic circulation as will provide a moving mixture which, as a whole, has a specific gravity greater than coal.

It has also been proposed to make use of sand and water maintained agitated, for the same purpose.

None of these mixtures are sufiiciently stable to effect the separation ofthe coal in laboratory'methods, and not on a com-- without additional agitation, such as by stirrers, or by an upwardly directed current through a body thereof.

I have discovered that a pulp made from a mixture of mineral slimes and water, free from sand and large particles, will be sufficiently stable during operating conditions to permit the separation of the coal from the impuritiesby gravity alone, thereby dis pensing with any special means for provid ing agitatlon.

Specifically, this mixture, and the one which I prefer, is clay and water,- the clay being free from all sand and large particles, and sufliciently fine to remain in suspension in waterv during operating conditions and to produce a separating liquid, pulp,- or suspension havlng a specific gravlty greater than that of the coal to be separated, so

that the coal will float on the surface of this pulp, and may be scraped therefrom, while the slate and bone, as well as'the pyrites, or other iron combinations, will sink to the bottom of the body of such liquid,

from which point it may be separately removed.

In the annexed drawings I have diagram matically shown, in Figure 1 a plant for separating coal, andin Fig. 2 a detailed section' of the separating device.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1', '3

is a grinder for the clay|or slate, in which the comminution is carried to a fine dewater being admitted through a branch pipe 4 to the grinder. The grinder discharges through a launder 5, which discharges to a classifier 7 where all the coarse material'is removed from the product, re-

sulting from the grinder 3, and only the fine, suspended parti les are carried through a launder 8 to a thickener 10 from which the clear water is delivered by pipe 11 to a pump 12 which supplies a pipe line 13, supplying the grinder and supply pipes hereinafter referred to. The thickened mud, taken from the bottom of the thickener 9, passes by pipe 14 to a pump 15, whence it is. delivered by pipe 16 tothe pulp mixer 17 provided. with stirrer means, or equiv'alent means, for maintaining the pulp in: a thoroughly mixed condition and of "the proper specific) gravity. Water may be added to the pulp in the mixer, .if necessary, to bring the pulp to the proper specific gravity. 7 v I The pulp mixer delivers by gravity through a pipe 18 pulp of the proper consistency to the supply chute 19 by which the dirty coal is delivered to the separator.

This chute delivers coal onto a downwardly inclined plate 20, (Fig. 2) and it is carried therealong 'by'means of an endless scraper conveyer 12 passing guide sprockets 22, 23, 24: and 25.

Spaced from the end of the plate 20 is an upwardly inclined late 26 along which the clean coal is carrie by the scraper conveyer 21 onto: an endless carrier apron or belt 27. The conveyer then passes over guide sprockets 23 above the'belt27 and down into to maintain that portion-of the; can'ier beoverflow 31.

coal, but

foreign material. The coal floats on the sur-.

tween them at about the level of the pulp in the tank.

Inasmuch as there is a constant supply of pulp with. the coal,

and in order to maintain a definite liquid level, thereis provided at one side of the tank an overflow 31, discharging into the launder 6.

Along both of the belts27 and'30 are provided sprinkler pipes 32 and 83 respectively, which deliver water to the separated coal on belt 27 and to the slate on belt 3 0, in order to wash them clean and to return the-usable pulp adhering thereto into the cycle-of operations.

The belts 27 and 30 are dished, or troughshaped, in order to carry water, and they are inclined toward the launders 6 and 6, and discharge thereon. The launderG' gathers ground pulp from the launder 5, ul washed from the coal on belt 27, and pulp overflowing from the tank 28 at3l, and returns it all to the classifier 7 where it is freed from all material unsuitable for the suspension or pulp utiliied in the process. The launder 6 discharges pulp washed from the slate on belt 30 also into the classifier 7.

It will thus be seen that in the separator tank 28 the pulp or' suspension is main tained of suflicient specific gravity to float not to float any admixed heavier face of thepulp in tank 28, while the slate, bone and other heavy impurities sink through the pulp between the lates 20 and 26 'onto the inclmed bottom 0 the separating tank and are carried'out of the tank by said chain and delivered to the slate conveyer belt 30, while the coal which floats on thesurface of the pulp is carried along by'the endlesscarrier out of the pulp along the plate-26 and is discharged onto the coal conveyer belt 27.- The excess pulp passes under partition 40 to the constant level the body 26 undisabout' midwayof the depth of the tankand thus draws oil from the tank below the sep- 28, around guide Thus it wil'l'b seen that the partition 40 not only maintains of liquid between the plates 29 and v turbed by the overflowing liquid, but it withdraws the liquidfrom below the surface-- and it not increased by additions from the coal, so that the separation of bone and slate from the coal will always be insured.

The specific gravity of coals vary, and it is sometimes coals to augment the specific gravity of the pulp by adding thereto certain salts, such as sodium chlorid, or by using mine-water containing a sufiicient quantity of sulfate of iron and other salts in solution.

The addition of soluble salts or the equivalent I have found necessary for the heavier coals because of the fact that when a suspension of clay is made up to thespecific gravity sufficient to float these coals, the pulp becomes so thick and gelatinous that pieces of slate will not sink through the pulp.

With the lighter coals it will not be necessary to add soluble salts to the pulp.

One great advantage of this method of separation is thatthe separation will be effected irrespective of the size and shape of p any upward agitating current will prevent such fine sulfids from sinking throughv the separating medium.

Another great advantage is that, aside 4 from the decreased cost of cleaning coal by my method over the methods hereinbefore referred to, finer coal than by the use of jigs or other agitating devices, wherein small pieces of slate, bone and the like are unavoidably carried'up by the agitating current and remam with thecoal.

I claim 1. A coal separator, comprising a tank freefrom liquid agitating means having an inclined bottom and a liquid level maintain mg overflow discharging liquid from below the surface of the liquid in the tank, an endless conveyer therein, apair of opposltely ;incl-ine d spaced plates near the liquid level over which a portion of said 0 nveyer trav els, means for delivering coal to 'be separated onto one of said plates and conveyer, said conveyer moving the coal between said plates where the the. impurities sink onto another portion of said conveyer, a portion of said conveyer traveling at the surface level and discharg ing the coal over the end of said other plate at one end of merged portion ing-the refuse at 2. A coal of said conveyer dischargseparator comprising a tank,

free from liquid agitating. means, having liquid-level mainan inclined bottom and a the other end of said tank.

Iam able to separate a much to the space coal fi'iiats and the tank, and another subtannng overflow, discharging liquid from below the separating zone,- an endless conveyer therem,

a pair of oppositely inclined spaced plates over; which said conveyer travels, means for delivering coaltobe separated onto one of said plates and oonveyer,

said conveyer having a stretch at the liquid levelmoving the coal to the space between the plates where the coal floats and the impurities sink, means to which said conveyer 1 dischargest'he separated coal from the other of said plates, means to whichsaid conveyer discharges refuse, means for washing the coal and refuse freefrom the separating me dium and means for returning the wash into 1 the-cycle of operations.

3. A coal separator comprising a tank, free liquid agitating means, having an inclined bottom-and a liquid-level maintaining overflow, an endless conveye'r there;

m, a p: ir of oppositely inclined spaced plates over :which said conveyer travels, means for delivering coaPto be separated to-one of said 'means. to which said conveyer discharges refuse, "means for contlnuously supplying pulp to "said tank, means for washing the coal and refuse free from the separating medium and meansfor returning the Wash and operations. I

4. Apparatus 'for'sep'arating coal,'compr1spulp from'said overflow. into the cycle of ing a grinder for argillaceous material, a

flotation classifier for said ground material,

brought to a pulp. of. the propergravity, .a tank, means to supply the pulp and coal to said tank, means to separately remove the' coal and heavier impurities-from said tank,..

as a thickening device for the separated fines, I a, mixer into which?v the settled fines are means to supply washewater decanted fromr said thickening device to said coal and to saidimpurities, and means to return the.

wash and overflow from said tank to said classifier.

In testimony that Iclaim the vforegoingas my inventiofn, ,I have signed my name hereto.

; f R. 'oonKLm. 

